Little Goat: Working Out the Kinks

Girl and the Goat, Stephanie Izard's first restaurant, is one of my absolute favorite Chicago restaurants. When I heard she was opening up a casual diner-style restaurant across the street, I was pumped. After following Chicago food news for a few months, I knew I had to get to Little Goat and try it as soon as it opened.

I went for brunch on Little Goat's third day of existence. We waited for around 45 minutes, which was made much more tolerable by their use of the No Wait app, which I haven't seen anywhere else.  Although Little Goat may share a "hipster diner" feel with Au Cheval, its light colored decor and large windows lend the restaurant a bright, cheery ambiance compared to Au Cheval's dark, sexy, wooded vibe.

We studied the menu as we waited but ended up feeling incredibly undecided- so many great options, so little stomach room!

We ended up ordering:

Brandade and Belly 'Benedict' (Brandade, Pork Belly, Eggs, Biscuit, Kimchi)

Action shot of eating

This was far too fishy for my taste. This may be my fault- I've never had brandade before (or after) this, so I am unsure of if it is supposed to be so salty/fishy. The other components of the dish were delicious, but the brandade simply overpowered everything else. I ended up eating very little of this.

Today's Bahn Mi (Confit, Liver Mousse, Pickled Veggies, Baguette)

We were warned by the server that this would be rich, and it was. Made with duck confit and liver, the liver was rich and creamy while the pickled veggies refreshed the palate for each bite. I enjoyed this a lot, but wasn't able to eat as much as I would have liked because it was so heavy.

Tempura Mashed Potatoes (Asian BBQ, Ranch)

For our side, we tried the tempura mashed potatoes. Let's be real, you really can't go wrong with fried potatoes, ranch, and barbeque sauce. These weren't anything to write home about (ironic as I blog about them), but were still a tasty side.

Overall, we left Little Goat unimpressed, but eager to return to try more menu items. Luckily, I was able to return this weekend. Although I wasn't able to take pictures, my second visit was MUCH better than my first. I unfortunately wasn't able to take pictures, but we ordered:

• Los Drowned (braised beef, avocado, buttercase cheese, pickles, spicy mayo, hoagie): this was their take on Italian Beef and WOW. All I can say is you must order this. It was flavorful and tender without being overwhelming. Incredibly delicious.
• Pork Belly Pancake (scallion pancake, house hoising, bok choy salad, ginger maple dressing): I only had a few bites of this, but it was very tasty. Interesting concept, well executed.
• Taco Salad (goat, chili, chips, shredded iceberg, cheddar, olives, tangy french dressing): The server told us this was Stephanie's (and his) favorite dish, so we decided to give it a try. It definitely was an elevated version of the typical taco salad, but was nothing exceptional. I'm unsure as to why our server raved about it.
• Veggie Burger, Korean Style (kimchee, bacon, egg, spicy mayo, squish squash roll): As I've said before, put a fried egg on anything, and I will like it. The egg was beautiful with a giant, shiny orange yolk, and the kimchee cut the richness perfectly. I'm an avid carnivore and thought the veggie patty was good (for a veggie patty) but loved the korean seasonings. Unique flavors all around, and done very well.

My rating (s):

First visit- 3 stars.

Second visit- 4 stars.